Escaping Trouble

by Dee Bridle

  I put my hand around the cup, and said, “Thanks for this.”

  “Anytime. I’m hung over and grumpy.”

  I took a sip. I was grumpy without the hangover.

  “You went out?”

  She nodded and said, “Went to see Academy at the Hi Fi Bar. Have you heard of them?”

  “Yeah, they’re great,” I answered truthfully.

  “If I had known you liked them, I would have got you to come with us,” she said tapping my arm. “Oh, but you would have been working right?”

  “Right,” I said with a resigned sigh.

  “You must need a night out,” she said with a shake of her head. “Try to get Saturday off and come to the party.”

  I couldn’t remember the last party I had gone to and had fun. I went through a stage of partying with an old ex where I drank my problems away, to the point of being unconscious every night. But that didn’t count because I could hardly remember it. There were always parties at Rick’s place, but they were parties that I never wanted to be a part of. Maybe I could ask Glory if I could leave early or even have the night off. I sipped my coffee, pondering on that as Noah appeared at the table and sat down.

  “Hey,” he said spreading his legs out and grabbing Ava’s coffee and taking a sip as he looked at me.

  “I was just asking Ivy to come to your party on Saturday night,” said Ava.

  “Oh?” he said, his eyes settling on me. “And, are you coming?”

  I know I had been angry ten minutes ago, but I couldn’t help think about how much I liked him here right now. It had been two days of silence and I had missed him. Missed those unsettling brown eyes, the amazing tattoos on his arms, and the knowing smirk. I suddenly wanted to go to the party. There was nothing more that I wanted to do.

  “Hey, guys,” said Sally sitting down next to Noah.

  Noah’s eyes didn’t move from mine, waiting for an answer that I couldn’t give.

  “You were in fine form last night,” laughed Sally, nudging Noah playfully.

  His eyes were still on me as he said, “So? Are you?”

  I didn’t want to think how much I disliked Sally right at that moment and the familiarity she seemed to have with him. But he was ignoring her and looking at me, which I was enjoying, like a silly high school girl with a crush.

  “I have to work,” I said as I sipped my coffee.

  I couldn’t get caught up with him. I couldn’t think like this.

  “Who was that girl you left with? She was all over you like a rash,” laughed Sally.

  Noah leaned back in his seat and let out a sigh, “Just a girl.”

  “I’m surprised you remembered that. You were totally wasted last night,” said Ava to Sally. “Did you go somewhere after?”

  I heard them talk, but the words blurred into each other. I sipped my coffee, trying to look calm, but I was anything but. I was an idiot. I was doing everything that I despised. He was obviously enjoying his nights with the type of girls that were nothing like me. Girls that were uncomplicated and were able to give him what he wanted. You couldn’t find a girl more complicated than me, a charity case who was homeless. Bet the girl last night had a lovely home.

  I felt his eyes still on me, finding the truth behind them and I suddenly knew I had to leave.

  I stood up and said, “I have to go. Thanks for the coffee, Ava.”

  “Anytime,” she said with a smile. “Call me if you change your mind.”

  I nodded and walked away, putting my bag on my shoulder as I headed to the doors. I needed air and to be away from all the conflict in my head.

  Noah

  I watched her leave, until the cafeteria doors swung closed, my feet itching to go after her. I held my jaw tight as I turned back around and forced myself to continue to sit there.

  Sally laughed about something next to me and the noise of it grated on me. I glanced across at Ava and she gave me a smile with a knowing wink. She was trying her hardest to help me with Ivy, but I knew it wasn’t easy. She did seem to like her though and actually wanted to get to know her better.

  “So, I need a plus-one next week at some ball where my father is getting an award. Want to come with me?” I asked.

  “A ball? I’d need to buy a ball gown.”

  “I’ll buy one for you. I’ll do anything for some company to keep me from stabbing myself in the eye with a fork and ending the painful night,” I said with a knowing smile. “And I’ve cleared it with your boyfriend.”

  She laughed, “He’s not the boss of me, you know.”

  “Oh, I know, but he still doesn’t like sharing.”

  “I’m in,” she said with smile. “I feel like getting dressed up.”

  “Cool,” I said taking another sip of her coffee.

  “I could think of another girl you could ask, though.”

  I huffed, “You’re kidding right? She won’t even look me in the eye, let alone agree to come with me to a wankers ball.”

  Ivy

  As it started to become dark, I headed out of the college and over to my tram stop. I had spent the last two hours working at the library, getting assignments completed, so I was free for work tonight. I looked to the car park without realizing I was really looking for Noah’s car. I hadn’t seen him since our few shared moments in the cafeteria earlier that day and felt that whatever had happened between us was over. I knew it was for the best, but it left a feeling of emptiness somehow.

  “Hey, Ivy!”

  I turned at the sound of my name to see Ava in the car park coming over to me. I stopped and waited for her, while seeing my tram coming down the main street.

  “What are you still doing here?” she asked.

  “I’m usually here at this time in the library, and then I go straight to work from here,” I explained.

  She nodded and said, “I had a late study group session. I’m just waiting on Zac to pick me up.”

  “Cool,” I said glancing over to see my tram going to my stop.

  I was going to miss it.

  “So, please think about coming to the party on Saturday,” she said offering me a cigarette.

  I took one and said, “Thanks.”

  She flicked her lighter on and I lit my cigarette, taking a drag.

  “It would be nice to have another girl there with me. These parties are usually dominated by guys,” she said rolling her eyes. “Zac’s sister is usually with me, but she’s in…well, she’s away at the moment.”

  I nodded.

  “And the other girls there are usually from Zac and Noah’s past or want to be in their futures, so…”

  I nodded again. I had no doubt in my mind that Noah had lots of girls after him.

  She visibly cringed, and offered, “Not that you want to hear that.”

  I shrugged and said, “It’s got nothing to do with me. I can imagine that he would have a lot of girls after him.”

  “Would you be one of those girls?” she asked with a grin.

  “No, he’s not my type,” I said instantly.

  What was I saying? Of course he was my type, except for the whole living in Toorak thing.

  “I mean, I’m not his type.”

  “How do you know?” she asked.

  “I just know I’m not,” I said taking another drag of the cigarette, not even wanting to begin with that one.

  I wasn’t perfect for starters and he had only ever seen me with bruises.

  “You’re exactly his type. More than you realize.”

  Anything else she was about to say was drowned out by a loud rumbling engine coming towards us. My tram had long gone.

  “Here’s my Zac man,” she smiled with happiness as a black WRX stopped in front of us.

  She opened the door and the interior light came on, showing me Zac’s face.

  “Hey,” he said leaning over to look at me with his tattooed hand on Ava’s seat.

  I suddenly imagined him and Noah single with all their girls and knew they would have been troubl
e together. Zac was hot and Noah was even hotter. Any girl wouldn’t have been safe around them. I liked Ava, and I liked how she had snagged herself a hot guy who seemed to adore her. Every guy I knew didn’t really do the whole adoring thing. They were also never trustworthy, especially the good-looking ones. I really hoped he was good to her.

  Ava smiled at me, and said, “You guys haven’t properly met. This is Zac, Zac, this is Ivy.”

  “Ivy,” said Zac with a smirk, his other hand leaning on the steering wheel. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

  “Don’t believe a word of it,” I said looking away, wondering what he had heard.

  Did he think I was a charity case, too?

  “I gotta go. See you guys later.”

  “Do you need a lift?” he asked.

  I turned to look back at him and said, “No, that’s okay, but thanks.”

  “Come on, Ivy, it’s no trouble, and it’s better than waiting for a tram,” said Ava.

  I bit my bottom lip with indecision, knowing it would be so much better than the tram. Zac revved the engine and looked to me as if daring me to get in. I let out a silent sigh and opened the back door and got in.

  Noah

  I yawned, got up from my laptop, and went to the fridge. This assignment was killing me, and I couldn’t get past the last summary. My phone went off as I grabbed an energy can. I took a swig and went back to the table.

  Picking up my phone, I saw a message from Zac.

  Zac: Just took your girl to work…you can thank me later

  Noah: How did you do that? Kidnapping is a federal offense you know

  Zac: I’m hurt you would think I would have to go to such lengths…maybe I just have something you don’t ;)

  I shook my head as I typed - Yeah – you have something all right...3 letters, starting with an E and its inflated. So what did you talk about? Please tell me Ava was with you

  Zac: Why? Worried that she might want me instead?

  I shook my head again with a grin - No

  Zac: She kept saying how hot you were

  My eyebrow’s raised - Really?

  Zac: No

  Noah: Fuck you

  I sat back down at my laptop and looked at the screen. I didn’t know what to do next with Ivy. It was no secret to any of them that I clearly wanted more from her. I had been intrigued as soon as my eyes fell on her at the start of the year, but there was only so much rejection I could take.

  I had no idea if she was interested in me at all that way. She was sometimes just too hard to read. I wanted to get closer but knew she would only push me away.

  The whole concept of having a girl not interested in me was a little hard to swallow. I knew I sounded like a dick, but to be honest, she was the first girl to be trying her absolute hardest to stay away from me. Girls liked me. I treated them all with respect and cared for them while I had them. I just never wanted any of them to stay around longer than it was necessary.

  I liked that Ivy was a challenge. There was just something about her that made me want to get inside her head, take care of her, and try my hardest to make her smile. I knew life was shit sometimes, and it looked like that was most of the time for her. I wanted to show her that it didn’t have to be that way. I also wanted to find the guy who had hurt her and hunt him down and kill him.

  Chapter Six

  Ivy

  I went on the dreaded glass pick-up later that night and shoved off wandering hands. It was usually the older guys who went for grabs, and it was usually my bottom as I walked past. I kept away from certain locals¸ knowing their habits by now as I went around.

  Scanning one last time before I returned to the bar, I spotted Rick coming through the door and groaned. I grabbed the last glass and quickly headed back to the bar. He saw me and sidled up to the bar with a grin.

  “Hey, Ivy.”

  “What do you want, Rick?” I almost growled.

  “Is that any way to talk to a customer?” he asked loudly.

  “What do you want?” I repeated, anger burning my stomach.

  “You know what I want,” he said seriously. “Money. Hand it over.”

  I gripped onto the bar and growled, “I don’t fucking have any. Some guys looking for you took it all from me. I have nothing.”

  “Who?”

  “I didn’t catch their names,” I said angrily. “They were too busy hurting me.”

  “Well, we need to pay the rent, so, find some,” he said.

  “That’s not my problem anymore,” I said gritting my teeth.

  “What? You think you’re too fucking good for us now? Where are you living?”

  I rolled my eyes, and spat out the words, “None of your business.”

  He grabbed my sore wrist, and I yelped in pain as he yanked me over the bar towards him.

  “It is my fucking business,” he snarled. “Get me money or else, Ivy. Steal it from the register for all I care. Just get it.”

  “Is there a problem?” asked Lou, coming up beside him.

  Rick let me go and put his hand up.

  “No problem.”

  “Think it’s time you left then,” said Lou, pulling on his arm.

  Rick went with him, giving me a warning death stare as he left the bar. With shaking hands, I went back to serving customers, trying not to think how angry Rick seemed to be. Things were obviously bad if he had people hunting him down, and he was still threatening me for money.

  By closing time, I was ready to go upstairs and pass out on the couch. I felt drained and wanted to shut out the world for a couple of hours before I had to do it all over again. I waited for Lou and Glory to finish up and then headed upstairs to the office.

  I turned the small lamp off and curled up on the couch, looking at my phone. I wondered what he was doing right now. I swiped the phone and brought up his details, focusing on his name. I wanted to text him, but I knew I shouldn’t. Distance. I had to keep my distance.

  My eyes slowly closed and I was lost to the dragging depths of sleep, my hand still holding the phone.

  I didn’t know how long I had been asleep before I heard a thump outside. My eyes shot open and I stopped breathing. My ears were on high alert. I heard another noise and then silence. I was safe up here. No one other than Lou knew I was here.

  I pocketed my phone and sat up and huddled into my knees, my eyes darting around the dark room. I was slowly losing my mind. No one was in here, because they would have tripped the alarm downstairs. The only way was the fire escape via the window but that was safely pulled up so no one could reach it from the ground.

  I tried to take calming breaths.

  The window rattled and I jumped off the couch, tripping over my bag beside it. I fell to the floor and quickly looked back to the window. It was still rattling like someone was trying to open it. If I ran downstairs, I would set off the alarm. The owner would come and I would have to answer too many questions and definitely lose my job. I looked over to the table and grabbed the lamp, ripping the cord out of the electric socket on the wall.

  The window shoved up and someone climbed in.

  I screamed.

  “You think you can hide from me? Where is the money, bitch?” asked Rick angrily, coming at me.

  He put his hand around my neck and squeezed.

  I tried to shove him off me, but he was squeezing my neck so hard that I started to choke.

  “Get off me!” I screamed.

  I lifted the lamp and smashed it against his head. I felt the glass explode on impact, shards hitting me in the face. He stumbled back, letting me go as he held his head.

  “You fucking bitch!” he spat angrily and loomed towards me again.

  He grabbed my face hard. He then shoved me back with such force that I hit the wall before dropping to the floor. He loomed over me again and I kicked my legs out at him.

  “You think I wouldn’t find you?” he said grabbing my leg to stop me from kicking.

  “I don’t have any money,” I shouted
back at him.

  “You better fucking find some!”

  I kicked him where it would hurt him the most with my other foot, and he grunted in pain and reared back. I quickly got up from under him and ran to the window. I put one leg out and he lunged for me again, pulling me back in. I held onto the crumbling window frame with my life.

  “Where is the safe?”

  “I don’t know,” I said trying to pull away from him.

  “Has the register got anything?”

  “Yes,” I lied, straining to get out of his grasp.

  He let me go and I fell out the window onto the fire escape. Without another thought, I scrambled down the ladder and away from him. I jumped the last remaining steps and ran down the laneway as fast as I could. That’s when I realized my bag was still up there. I hid behind a dumpster and tried to catch my breath. Rick would set the alarm off. There would be police, and my belongings would be in the office. Fuck.

  I crouched down against the cold brick wall and held my head in my hands. I felt like screaming and crying all at the same time. Now I was truly fucked. I had nowhere to go. No belongings and no jacket, I thought, as I started to shiver from the cold. I pulled my phone from my pocket, thankful that I at least still had that.

  I looked up and down the laneway, waiting for an alarm to break into the silence. There was still nothing, and I wondered if Rick had deactivated it somehow. My eyes filled with tears and I blinked them back, watching my thumb press the phone on.

  I wanted to call him. I was so tired of trying to survive by myself. I wouldn’t last out here with nothing but my jeans and T-shirt. I wouldn’t survive the streets. I could be a tough bitch when I needed to be, but I couldn’t do this anymore.

  I decided to call Lou, knowing he would help me out. My thumb pressed for Noah instead, because I knew deep in my heart, that he was really the one I wanted to help me. I heard him answer before I even put the phone to my ear.

  “Ivy?”

  I heard him say my name again. Then again. I put the phone to my ear and closed my eyes.

  Taking a deep breath, I said, “I need…can you come and…”

  “I’m on my way,” he confirmed. “Are you safe right now?”

  My eyes couldn’t hold them back anymore and tears started to run down my cheeks.